Music Ministry |
Music enlivens our community prayer. When we lift our hearts and voices in song at mass or in other liturgical celebrations we express our belief that we are not just individulas alone, but a community united in worship.
“There is a vital interest today in the Mass as prayer. When all strive with one accord to make the Mass a prayer, a sharing and celebration of Faith, the result is unity. Styles of music, choices of instruments, forms of celebration, all converge in a single purpose: that men and women of faith may proclaim and share that faith in prayer and Christ may grow among us all.”
…from Music in Catholic Worship; Bishops Committee on the Liturgy.
Children’s Choir – This ensemble, directed by Shannon Conway, provides a great foundation in liturgical music for the youth in our parish. Blending traditional favorites with fun, contemporary pieces, this ensemble supports the 10:00 a.m. Family Mass each Sunday of each week. Rehearsals are a convenient walk over to the Parish Center after the 10:00 a.m. family Mass while parents are socializing downstairs at the coffee get-together! Liturgical Music relies on these youth ensembles to carry our practices into future generations so please consider being a part of this important group. For further information, please contact the Children’s Choir Director, Shannon Conway. She can be reached at (978) 531-3166 or via email at smileyshan1387@hotmail.com.
Contemporary Ensemble - SING TO THE LORD A NEW SONG! And a new song we shall sing at our 5pm Masses this year! This Mass will be undergoing musical transformation to take a distinctly contemporary turn from September to June and we want YOU to be a part of it! If you play an instrument, if you can …kinda… sing, if you just want to be part of something new and exciting, this ensemble is the place for you! We will be coming together to utilize compositions by some of today’s leading Contemporary Christian composers to create an entirely new experience of worshiping through music! Any voice part and experience level is welcome, as are most instruments at an intermediate level or higher. In addition to voices, we are especially in need of those with Keyboard, Guitar, Bass, Percussion, and Woodwind talents! This is an excellent resource to earn community service hours! Rehearsals are on Sundays 3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. For further information, please contact our Music Director, Brendan Kenney, at (978) 826-7515, or by way of email at bkenney@parishmail.com.
Adult Choir - Come join us in praising our Lord with song! Such a beautiful church deserves an equally beautiful choir and we will seek to build that this year. The St. John the Baptist Adult Choir currently rehearses on Wednesday nights and supports the 4:00 p.m. Mass on Saturdays. NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY! All are welcome! Even if you are interested in singing with us, but do not regularly attend the 4:00 p.m. Mass or have a standing conflict on Wednesday nights, please contact our Music Director, Brendan Kenney, at (978) 826-7515, or by way of email at bkenney@parishmail.com.
Cantor Program - Cantors are specially trained vocalists that lead our congregation in their musical worship. Those who wish to participate in this Ministry should have prior singing experience or training (though, not required), and will undergo training. Rehearsal is required the week before you are scheduled to cantor. For further information, please contact our Music Director, Brendan Kenney, at (978) 826-7515, or by way of email at bkenney@parishmail.com.
Vespers - During the Sundays of Advent and Lent, the parish will celebrate “Vespers” (Evening Prayer) in the upper church at 7 p.m. This ancient style of prayer may be a great benefit for you in preparing for Christmas and for Easter. The service lasts approximately thirty minutes. There are scripture readings, a short talk by members of the parish or visiting priests, and beautiful music. All are invited and encouraged to join us.
New Directions in the Works!!!
Our Music Director, Brendan Kenney, contemplates exciting new programs within our Music Ministry, including the following:
Cantata Choir: This new ensemble is still in the works; however, we would love to hear about your interest in it! St. John’s is attempting to collaborate with two other Parishes tied to our Music Ministry in order to produce a spectacular performance of a Christmas Cantata and Concert. This Ministry will consist of nearly fifty voices from St. John the Baptist (Peabody), St. Florence (Wakefield), and the First Congregational Church (Billerica) coming together with a live orchestra to present a spiritually uplifting Christmas musical experience! Rehearsals are on Wednesday evenings with the adult choir.
ChoirChime Ensemble: St. John’s is blessed to have a wonderful set of Choirchimes that is currently gathering dust! Well, this September we hope to pull them out of storage, clean them off, and enhance our Christmas Masses with them! This ensemble will most likely consist of members from the Adult and Youth Choirs as Choirchime education will be integrated into regular choir rehearsals; however, that certainly does NOT mean that you cannot join this ensemble if you are not a part of the other choirs. Simply contact Brendan if you wish to participate – NO SINGING OR MUSIC KNOWLEDGE NECESSARY! The rehearsal process of this ensemble will focus on providing you with all the musical knowledge you need to be able to effectively play the instruments.
For further information about these new and exciting programs, please contact our Music Director, Brendan Kenney, at (978) 826-7515, or by way of email at bkenney@parishmail.com.
Volunteer opportunities!
Please note that all Parish Volunteers, like all Parish Clergy and Staff, are subject to the Code of Ministerial Behavior for the Archdiocese of Boston. Please click the Code of Ministerial Behavior button below to review that Code of Behavior promulgated by the Archdiocese.
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“Since Love is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing.”
–Quaker Hymn